5 Proven Strategies to Reduce Laboratory Turnaround Time

Turnaround time is one of the most critical performance metrics for any clinical laboratory. When physicians are waiting for test results to make treatment decisions, every minute counts. Patients expect faster results, and healthcare providers need timely data to deliver quality care. Yet many laboratories struggle with delays that impact patient outcomes and satisfaction.

After working with dozens of physician offices, hospitals, and independent laboratories, we've identified five proven strategies that consistently deliver measurable improvements in turnaround time without compromising quality or accuracy.

Understanding the Real Cost of Delays

Before diving into solutions, it's important to recognize what's at stake. Extended turnaround times don't just frustrate physicians and patients—they create real clinical and financial consequences. Delayed toxicology results can postpone critical treatment decisions. Slow PCR testing can mean missed opportunities for early intervention. In competitive markets, laboratories with faster turnaround times win more business.

The good news is that most delays aren't caused by testing itself. They're caused by inefficiencies in the workflow surrounding the testing process. That means you can often achieve dramatic improvements without buying expensive new equipment.

Strategy 1: Map Your Entire Workflow

You can't fix what you don't understand. The first step to reducing turnaround time is creating a detailed map of your entire process from specimen collection to result reporting. Walk through every step with your team and document the actual time each phase takes—not what you think it should take, but what really happens.

Pay special attention to handoffs between departments or individuals. These transition points are where delays often hide. Is there a bottleneck when specimens move from accessioning to testing? Do results sit waiting for review before being released? Are certain tests prioritized while others languish?

We recently worked with a hospital toxicology lab that discovered their average turnaround time of forty-eight hours included twenty hours of specimens simply waiting in a queue. The testing itself took only four hours. Once they identified this bottleneck, they restructured their staffing schedule to process specimens continuously rather than in batches. Turnaround time dropped to twelve hours within two weeks.

Strategy 2: Implement Continuous Flow Processing

Batch processing feels efficient because you're handling multiple specimens at once. But it creates artificial delays. A specimen that arrives five minutes after a batch starts processing might wait hours for the next batch to begin.

Continuous flow processing means specimens move through your laboratory as soon as they arrive, rather than waiting for a batch to accumulate. This approach works particularly well for high-priority tests like PCR, blood cultures, and stat toxicology panels.

The key is balancing continuous flow with operational efficiency. You don't want technologists constantly switching between different test types. The solution is to establish designated time windows for different test categories while maintaining flexibility for urgent specimens. For example, run PCR tests every two hours instead of twice per day, and process toxicology specimens within thirty minutes of arrival rather than waiting for end-of-shift batching.

Strategy 3: Optimize Your Staffing Schedule

Many laboratories staff based on tradition rather than actual workflow patterns. The Monday morning rush requires different coverage than Friday afternoon. Specimens don't arrive evenly throughout the day, yet many labs maintain the same staffing levels from open to close.

Analyze your specimen arrival patterns over several weeks. When do most specimens arrive? When do physicians need results most urgently? Then align your staffing to match these patterns. You might need more technologists during morning hours and fewer in the afternoon. Consider staggered shifts that provide coverage during peak times without overstaffing during slower periods.

Cross-training is equally important. When technologists can perform multiple test types, you gain flexibility to shift resources where they're needed most. A technologist who can handle both immunology and microbiology testing can help clear backlogs in either department rather than standing idle while colleagues are overwhelmed.

Strategy 4: Automate Result Verification and Reporting

Manual result review is essential for quality assurance, but it shouldn't create unnecessary delays. Many laboratories still have results sitting in a queue waiting for a pathologist or laboratory director to review and release them, even when the results are clearly normal and within expected ranges.

Implement auto-verification rules for routine results that fall within established parameters. This allows your medical director to focus attention on abnormal or questionable results that truly require expert review, while normal results are released immediately. Most modern laboratory information systems support sophisticated auto-verification rules based on delta checks, reference ranges, and historical patterns.

For results that do require review, establish clear turnaround time expectations. Medical directors should review pending results at defined intervals throughout the day rather than once at the end of their shift. Consider implementing mobile result review capabilities so directors can approve results from anywhere, eliminating delays when they're away from their desk.

Strategy 5: Eliminate Pre-Analytical Delays

The testing process doesn't start when the specimen reaches your laboratory—it starts when the specimen is collected. Pre-analytical delays are often the biggest contributor to extended turnaround times, yet they're frequently overlooked because they happen outside the laboratory's direct control.

Work with your specimen collection teams to identify and eliminate common pre-analytical delays. Are specimens sitting at collection sites waiting for courier pickup? Is there confusion about proper specimen handling that causes rejections and recollections? Are requisition forms incomplete, requiring time-consuming callbacks?

Establish clear protocols for specimen collection, handling, and transport. Provide training and visual aids to collection staff. Implement regular courier pickups rather than waiting for specimens to accumulate. Use electronic requisitions to reduce errors and missing information. Create a rapid communication channel for resolving issues without delays.

One physician office laboratory we consulted with reduced their blood culture turnaround time by eight hours simply by training nursing staff on proper collection technique and implementing twice-daily courier runs instead of once daily.

Measuring Success

Implementing these strategies is just the beginning. You need to measure your progress to ensure improvements are sustained. Track your turnaround time metrics continuously and share them with your team. Celebrate improvements and investigate any backsliding.

Break down turnaround time into its component phases: pre-analytical time, analytical time, and post-analytical time. This granular view helps you identify exactly where delays occur and whether your interventions are working. Set specific targets for each phase and monitor performance against those targets.

Remember that turnaround time improvement is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. As you eliminate obvious bottlenecks, new opportunities for improvement will emerge. Engage your entire team in identifying and solving problems. The people doing the work often have the best insights into what's slowing things down.

Getting Started

You don't need to implement all five strategies at once. Start with the one that addresses your biggest bottleneck. Map your workflow to understand where time is being lost. Then choose the intervention most likely to deliver quick wins and build momentum.

Many laboratories see measurable improvements within weeks of implementing even a single strategy. The key is commitment from leadership, engagement from staff, and consistent measurement of results.

If you're struggling to identify the right starting point or need expert guidance on implementing these strategies in your laboratory, Hope Consultation specializes in workflow optimization and turnaround time reduction for toxicology, immunology, PCR, blood testing, and microbiology laboratories. We've helped laboratories across the country achieve dramatic improvements in turnaround time while maintaining the highest quality standards.